A Warrior's Shell
by Karine Dragon'sheart
Summary: Every fighter, every swordsman, every one of them has a story, a grievance. Beneath those exteriors of smirks and scars lies anger, pain, suffering and lonely hatred. Rated for language and graphic detail.
1. Greatest of Killers

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the fighters in Rurouni Kenshin, let alone the rights. Sigh. Ya think Watsuki-sama would sell them to me?**

**Greatest of Killers**

I,

I am…

A hitokiri?

But, how could one boy kill a

Man?

My master could, sure,

But…

Me?

Yet, how do I explain

The body at my feet,

The blood upon my sword,

The bloodlust in my heart.

I am not a killer!

I am not a manslayer!

Master, oh master I'm sorry!

Forgive me, for leaving you,

Forgive me for being a fool!

But I can't go back to Kenshin,

I'm Battousai now.

Hitokiri…

Battousai.

Hitokiri…

Kenshin-

NO!

This is wrong, this is against everything I was taught!

I cannot kill on demand,

But I just did.

I cannot assassinate others,

Especially those I never knew…

But I…just did.

Tomoe! Kami-sama, let her come back to me!

I need her…

Sake…

Ah, the bottle Master sent down,

And no one's come near it.

If the pain cannot be wept away,

Then drink shall take its place.

**Thanks to work, I've managed to cook up another hare-brained scheme. Since I have so much free time on my hands, I figured I'd write a set of poems based on various characters' thoughts before they meet Kenshin or Sano and see a better light. That sort of includes Kenshin before he became rurouni. The way I see it, there's two Battousais; the one that actually enjoys the bloodbath, and the one who's still a child inside, terrified of what his body does. At least, that's kinda how I see it.**

**Laters!**

**KD**


	2. Zanza

**Disclaimer: I don't own Sano…though I'd love to spend some quality time 'training' with him…**

**Zanza**

Ah, another

Day, another

Fight,

Ever the usual business for a

Fight merchant.

Skip out on my tab,

Again,

Head back to the

Long house,

Wonder about you.

Yeah, I lay awake

At night wondering

Where in the afterlife you

Managed to end up,

Captain.

Did you get to keep your sword when they took your head?

Did you feel any pain?

Why didn't you let me go?

You taught me so much,

About how equality can

Be achieved,

If only those higher up in society

Will strive for it.  
You taught me that

Protecting others was right,

And hurting them was wrong.

I just wish I could make

A living elsewhere.

But who's gonna hire

Some gangster like

Me,

Except for hard labor

And minimal pay.

I can't even fight half

The time, thanks

To the Meiji police.

I tip my bottle to you

Short-lived glory.

Tonight, the sake's to you,

Captain Sagara,

It's all to you…

Lucky bastard.

**Our beloved rooster head…it's kinda heart-breaking when he talks about his Captain. Personally, I love the part where Sozo comes back and orders Sano to quit while he's learning the Futae no Kiwami. ('Mastery of Two Layers'; Think I spelled that right…if I didn't, please tell me) As much as Sano loved his Captain, it was kinda neat to see Sozo smile (in the manga, don't know about the anime), then disappear back into the spirit world.**

**Laters,**

**KD**


	3. The Head's Ambition

**Disclaimer: I don't own Aoshi…though I've gotten comments that he should be next, so I figured, why not? Han'nya will be after him, I hope.**

**The Head's Ambition**

I want

The title for you all.

I want

Us to be known as

Manslayers.

I want you four

To be legends.

Will you let me lead,

Still?

We leave our home

Of many years,

We travel to a city

Alone,

We have so little

To do.

Han'nya, savage and

Proud,

Defending my honor

Is your greatest goal.

Shikijo, wise

And strong.

Your livelihood

Rests on my whims.

Hyottoko, not smart,

But so very resilient,

I know that you

Would give it all up for me.

And Beshimi, quick,

Fiery wielder of poison,

I see your loyalty

In every move.

I trust you all with my back, and

Even more so with

My life.

Though we have so few

Happy moments

Now,

We are

At peace.

Fighting is our

Dream…

That has become a nightmare.

You fools!

Spare yourselves, flee!

Do not waste

That life…

The gatling gun steals

It with volley

After volley of

Steel.

Han'nya…

Shikijo…

Hyottoko…

Beshimi…

All now at rest,

At peace.

Wish I that same peace

Protected my ravaged soul.

You will bear your

Rightful title,

For Himura Battousai's

Head will be

Laid before you.

**Heh. Before Aoshi becomes an ally to the Kenshin-gumi, all he wanted was for his men to be respect for who they were, not him. And when they die in protecting him, all his heart longs for is Kenshin's head on a platter. That okay for Aoshi fans?**

**Laters!**

**Yay! Reviews!**

**Vegeta26-Thanks for reviewing twice! I plan to! –salutes-**

**Jasmine Reinier-Thank you! Yup, I'm doing all four of the Oniwabanshu, and all the Juppongatana. I'd have to be nuts not to do Saito too!**

**Saitouu Ryuuji-Ya think so? Cool. I'll check out your fic as soon as my chaotic schedule allows. (gimme till Thursday).**

**mimura no miko 19-Aoshi's up! Check his out and tell me whatcha think!**

**mimura no miko 19- Yes, I'm doing them in order of appearance, at least for a little while. Han'nya's up next, then Shikijo. I don't really want to do Beshimi and Hyottoko, but after the others, it's Kaoru, then everyone else in order. Hiko's going to be interesting, as will Saito. Stay tuned, and now, for your local news coverage!**

**Laters!**


	4. Barbarian

**Disclaimer: I no own Rurouni Kenshin…I no own squat.**

**Barbarian**

Fallen wolf,

Alone,

Dead

To the world.

You brought me back,

You brought me a

Home.

Friend, master,

Lord.

You taught me,

And in return, you asked

Only for my face,

My identity.

I retain my name,

But bear the

Visage of a

Monster.

I was at peace, and happy.

I taught the

One that you

Love so deeply

In the arts of subterfuge

And silence.

She is wiser,

Perhaps,

Than we older men.

Though her age

And heart are

A youngster's

Still,

She holds the soul

Of the many

Okashira before her…

You cried out

When life left

Our bodies,

When our souls

Fled to the winds high above.

I stayed, both

To watch out for

You,

And to watch out for

Her.

She has taken your

Place as the Head,

Yet her love for

You will never fade.

Go to her,

My lord.

Go to her,

My master.

Go to her,

My friend.

Go to her,

Aoshi…

**One of my favorite RuroKen characters, and one of my favorite manga characters ever. Next up is Shikijo. After them, I've decided to explore Kaoru's feelings, not on Kenshin, but on her sword work and apprentice. She doesn't get much press. Yahiko, on the other hand, I'm waiting to do after the Kyoto Arc. He'll be much more experienced then. Before him, though, are the Juppongatana and a few single characters.**

**Laters!**

**KD**


	5. The Guardian of Edo Castle

**Disclaimer: Once more, from the cast.**

**Cast: SHE DOESN'T OWN RUROUNI KENSHIN!**

**Kaoru: I do!**

**Kenshin: Orororororo…**

**The Guardian of Edo Castle**

I laughed,

A mere boy, offering

_Me a new life?_

It was

Strange, and yet,

Wonderful,

For I

Found myself

Within

A

Family, at last.

Brothers, all ugly,

Yet all wise

In their own ways.

But perhaps

My closest friend

Was a man like

Me,

Alone, left

For dead, offered

A new chance.

It pained me to see

Han'nya's

Transformation,

The scarring he suffered

Far worse than

What I

Bear.

But he was

Happy…

As was I.

I guarded, and fought,

And found

Myself with

A good lord,

A man,

Both in stature

And in strength,

One whom it

Was possible, not

Only to like,

But to

Befriend.

Lord Aoshi,

The youngster

Before me now

Couldn't be any

More different

Than the

Me

Of yesterday.

But he and I shared

An admiration.

Though the men

Were different

In all but mind,

Hitokiri and Okashira were one.

**Shikijo. Guardian, friend, comrade. He was a good man, like Sano is still. Perhaps Rooster-head might be tempted to change.**

**Laters,**

**KD**


	6. A Lonely Dojo Mistress

**Disclaimer: Don't own Kaoru or Kenshin…but I wouldn't have a problem with having a Sanosuke of my own!**

**A Lonely Dojo Mistress**

Yahiko runs off

To the Akabeko,

Tae and

Tsubame awaiting him

With smiles.

We just finished a bout,

And for once,

I think something actually

Got through.

Won't know,

Though,

Till the next fight

We find ourselves in.

Kenshin,

Sanosuke,

Even Yahiko…

Are they all so much stronger?

Am I so…

Weak?

Perhaps so.

But I did fight

Alongside each of them,

And I have

Grown stronger.

I could fight a member of the Juppongatana

With only a broken bakuto,

I could face an enemy much

Stronger than I.

But…

If not for Kenshin,

I'd have died that night.

When he whisked out of the

Darkness and carried me

Away.

He saved me again

From Gohei and Kihei,

And from Jin-e…

Hitokiri, rurouni,

My friend and companion.

From him I learned

The values my father hadn't

Been able to teach, and

From him,

I reinforced my hope

Of Kamiya Kasshin-Ryu.

The shinai, the bakuto,

The sword-arts themselves.

They were both my

Father's gifts,

And my inheritance.

**Slightly different? Perhaps so. I wanted to show Kaoru in a light that isn't the damsel in distress, or untouched virgin, or even a saddened mother. This is her prime, when she is both Yahiko's master and mentor, when she could fight Kenshin, and almost win. **

**Laters!**

**KD**


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